Seam



June 12, .1945. N.. E. WEEKS, ET AL SEAM Filed Jan. 22, 1944 PatentedJune 12, 1945 wsEA NomianlE'. Weeks, indianapolisQgfndli andL Kohert* IB. Le Roy, Rutherford; B'emisB'ro; Bag Com poration of Misso'ur'iassignorcjn to,

Application January122, 1944} r SeriaitNoo 195301 This; invention:relates: broadly; to; seams for seamed {articles-1' in general; and 1with regard: to' certain; more specific featurestoi closure seams 7class ,describedwhichwili allow said sealing com pound :to"effectnsubstantially complete inter-ply penetration; throughout; theedge regions of l the closure; theeprovision' Ofi'COVBI material forsucha closure seam which: may be applied; in an, ordinary: sewingmachine without entailing: mechanicaludimculties; ancltthe provisionofia-sealed scam: in; general: in which" the" sealingmaterialis:reinforced-zthroughout;- Other" objects will be 1m paa'tzzobvions and;in" part: nointedout'hereine after:

The? invention accordingly:- comprises the elements and combinationsaofelements; features'sof construction, and-arrangements; of parts" whichWillibfii exemplified in the-structures: hereinafter described; and;the; scoipeof: theapplication of which hes-indicated: in the" following:claims. In the=accompanyingtdrawing;.in whichare i1 lustrated severalioffvarious possible embodiments entire-invention; v I 1 I Figs 1 is aside elevation showing a bag having: double stri-p mouth' and bottomenclosures constituting one-form of the invention; 1

"Fig;- 2 is an enlarged broken-awaydetailedv plan of the upperright-hand co-rnerof Fig; 1';

Fig-r 3 is: a further enlarged vertical: section taken'on li nes 3'3ofFi'gs.--1 and"2;

Fig. 4 is aview similar'to Fig: 3 showing analternative single-stripembodiment! being taken is shown art-numeral- I a-:five-piygbag.Thesmu'l tiple pliestarer indicated specifically atnumerals: 32" 5; 1,94am!" llinzEigs; 2rand 3; Each: of these plies constitutes: aztubegvusuallymade of'paper;

. made of 'quite opemomiow count weave.

1301x1 5; (aura-f2 er I bafofininge'seynents; theeends: of r which areto.

- be: closedi Therbottom cendiistclosed before; fillingziandztheistopnenmaiterz filling: The;- problemisotmobtainxazpermanent'rclosuresatathesezorysima ilarf pointswhich:mast:absolutel -swatchtight aspo'ssiblec. prior. forms 015:." seaml3; shown: is satisfactory "and: the 1 invention I does not: refer "tothese: It: isz'to'z berunderstood; however; that'fthe' news seanrisapplicable to longitiidinal 1' locations such as occupied by seams l3should suclnlocation biecomewdesirablee. That'tis, thewinventionxis notlimitedzto'slocations on theeends ofibagsz,

' ltzhassbeen' moposedzrheretofiore tosewran: or dina'rylueshapedpapercoveitstirip .ovetthesmouth of: the. bag mi their: to 1 dip-:the-vc'overedi mouthintowwaie: proceduretalone was only-pare tia'llyzefiectivee sincethe?waxxwasrprevented' by the? covers stripifromicompletetintere ply. -penetra;- tion amb atzy bestv. simplypenetrated. somewhat aroundzthe needle eholesathroughi which:the-sewingrthread passed: Wexprovide hereby a=-cover strip; whichperforms: normal; covering; and,

strengthening-r-fmrctionss but which: also? allowssnbsequentzftliorough 1. penetration I by: the: sea-ling materiail'intoall parts ofiftlreaseam to effecticompletezinterepiyfpenetratiom IReferring to lligsr 1%3; one=formz of] our-invention: comprisesx a Ushape'd 1 cover" strip-- I5 composed-of aninnerrlayen-offlannel I rand-'an outer layer ctpreferably: starchetr" crinoiihe IS? The lsoiszexemplary ofany:relativeiy stifi reticulatedcovering: material havingr'greater strength than theabsorbent: material! Crinoline is a" fabric TheU -shaped' fcomriosite cover strip' assembly composedofthe inner icklayeM I and the-outer; open-cover: layer [9 is 5 appliedmnd" closed overthe-opem end of the-bag; after which stitching" Z1 is-appl ied throu'ghboth sides of the covers'trip' and the contained bag'pIies-or 'layers;In order to improve 'tlie strength} ofthe-stit hing 21" acushioning-*roving cord 23 'may like applied"= under; the-stitcl'iing-aom one sideoi ltli'e clos'ure assliown', or -ori:='bothsides. This cord" is appliedas the seam' isiorm'ed by the sewingmachine} It" is tob'es'understood that for plirposes of'theinventionperse, the roving=cord is not "absolutely*neces= sary but it is preferable;'I'Iieroving-cordshould preferably be of aflufly and=absorbingcharacter:Thus;.. in). addition: to its;cushioningzfimctions it also hasthefidesirediabsorbentf functions of." layerrl'hx I After thecompositerccver l15i-has b'een stitched" into: place; 'thezentireseamuis'dhaped intoa proofing material such as melted wax.Thea-:waxr-is; preferabiyramorplionss.smthatiaftei 'soiidifyingdtretains a desired flexibility. If a large degree of flexibility is notimportant, thena crystalline wax may be used. 'A suitable wax is onewhich is marketed under the trade name of Q 2111, dipping being for aperiod of the order of six seconds or so at 250 to 260 F. The wax isquite thin when so melted and easily advances by absorption andcapillary wick action through the flannel l1 the cover strip, andbetween all layers adjacent.

to the bag opening. The stitching 2| also becomes surrounded,impregnated both by action of the wax from the outside and from theinterleaved position within the layers. The roving cord 23, being alsofluffy and absorbent, encourages absorption of wax.

The relatively stiff crinoline element l9 not only has the function ofadding strength to the finished closure but it also presents to thepresser foot and needle of the sewing machine a surface upon which thesemay operate better than they do upon a soft, flexible surface such asflannel, particularly when such surfaces are in strip form, as herein.While the starching is desirable, it is not absolutely necessary to theinvention.

Some materials are available which. in a single composite strip, providethe desired absorbent, loose, flufiy inside surface and the stronger,stiffer open weave outside surface. forms of wool flannel and cottonfla'nnelette are such materials, illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, indexed21. They are not starched. 'They are characterized by an inside flufiycomponent nap surface shown at 29 and an outside component sur-' face 3iwhich is not fluffy and. is more like an ordinary woven surface inwhich, are reticulations 33 between threads. The application of thestrip of Figs. 4 and 5 and its function is analogous to that of thetwo-piece composite strip of Figs. 1-3.

Another useful material for the purpose is terry cloth. This is a wovenmaterial having a loopformed' nap on'one side in which the loops areleft uncut. Turkish toweling is similar and also useful for the purpose.It has nap on both sides and strong enough to maintain proper alignmentin the sewing machine. Fig. 6 illustrates at 35 this type of uncut napmaterial in general. It is quite absorbent and at the same time allowssatisfactory operation of the sewing machine for applying the stitching2|.

While it is preferred that the cover strip be made entirely of fabric,it may be made in part of fabric and in part of a strong paper orpaperlike layer. For example, the inside component may. be of fiuifycloth and the outside component of kraft paper with holes in it forentry of wax, the holes forming the reticulations.

Equivalentsfor the wax are other waterproofers such as asphalt'forexample It isto be understood that the invention is applicable to singleply bags in whch case the wax penetrates to opposite sides of the bagand creeps into the mouth areas between sides. It is also applicable tofabric bags and those made of fabric and paper.

It will be noted in the drawings that the ends For example, some,

of the cover strip have been carried beyond the edges of the bag, asindicated at 31. The degree of extension is such as to efiect a thoroughend closure.

From the above it will be seen that important features of the inventionare the provision of a one-piece or multi-pieee composite cover striphaving the combined characteristics of an outer reticulated butrelatively smooth surface functioning first to allow proper operation ofa sewing machine in applying the stitching 2|, and second to allow freeentry to the inside of the strip through-out its entire area of thesubsequently applied waterproofer. In addition, the cover has thecharacteristic inside of being absorbent, fluffy and to function as awick which will absorb the wax which enters through the reticulation 33and allow it to progress into position in inter-ply laminar relationshipbetween the bag plies, as well as coating the outside of the bag openingunderneath the cover strip. The needle holes'of the stitching are alsocompletely closed because they are reached exteriorly and interiorly bywax from all laminations. In other words, the proofing medium finallyfunctions as a solid matrix in which the fabric acts as a reinforcement.

' The invention is also applicable to seams for other articles but itsapplication to bags and case liners solves a particular problem in thatfield. Bags or case liners which are otherwise water-' proof and havingthe new closure seam may be immersed for substantial periods underwater.

The principles of the invention are applicable also to seals for usewith seams made with flat covering tape, i. e., unfolded and connectingcoplanar pieces whether sewn or or not. In this case again, thewick-like action of the tape transfers the wax or sealing materialthrough the tape to the inside of the seams and the sealing materialimpregnates the tape.

Furthermore, regardless of what type of seam the invention is employedon, the fibrou character of the tape actually reinforces the film of waxor sealing material. This is because the fibres are ramified throughoutthe mass of sealing material This allows for application of a largeramount of sealing material (wax) without dan-' ger of its cracking andflaking away. In fact this allows of applying a sufficient mass ofsealing material, in the case of wax, to present to the outside of theseam almost a solid wax surface which will not flake away.

In view of the above it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanyingdrawing, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

We claim:

l. A seam for adjacent layers of material to be joined, comprising aU-shaped cover strip covering the edges and adjacent sides of saidlayers, said cover strip being composed of material which is absorbentwith respect to a proofing medium,

stitching passing through the opposite sides ofsaid U-shaped cover stripand said adjacent layers, and proofing medium penetrated throughout saidcover strip to and between said layers.

of material which is absorbent with respect to a proofing medium andoutside of relatively stiffer reticulated material, stitching passingthrough the opposite sides of said composite cover strip and saidadjacent layers, and proofing medium interpenetrated throughout bothcomponents of said cover strip and between said layers.

. 3. A seam comprising adjacent layers to be joined, a U-shaped wovenfabric cover strip enclosing the edges of said'layers, said cover stripbeing composed of a relatively fiuffy inside component which isabsorbent to waterproofing material and a relatively stiffer outsidecomponent weave presenting reticulation through its weave for passagethere-through of said waterproofing material, stitching passing throughthe sides of the cover strip and the enclosed layers, and waterproofingmaterial impregnating the entire cover strip and lying on and betweensaid enclosed layers throughout the areas enclosed by the cover stripand penetrating the holes caused by the stitching, said componentscomprising separate elements.

4. A seam comprising adjacentlayers to be joined, a U-shaped wovenfabric cover strip en closing the edges of said layers, said cover stripbeing composed of a relatively fluffy inside component which isabsorbent to waterproofing material and a relatively stiffer outsidecomponent weave presenting reticulation through'its weave for passagethere-through of said waterproofing material, stitching passing throughthe sides of the cover strip and the enclosed layers, and waterproofingmaterial impregnating the entire ,cover strip and lying on and betweensaid enclosed layers throughout the areas enclosed bythe cover strip andpenetrating the holes caused by the stitching, said componentscomprising a single layer of material.

5. A seam comprising adjacent layers of multiply material to be joined,a composite cover strip enclosing said multi-ply layers, said coverstrip being composed of an absorbent inside component and a reticulatedoutside component, stitching passing through opposite sides of the cgverstrip and the enclosedlayers, and a waterproofing material extendingthrough said reticulations of the outside component and impregnatingsaid inside component, and extending into the spaces around thecontained layers within the cover strip and into the holes caused by thestitching, said waterproofing material forming a matrix when hardened inwhich the cover strip forms a reinforce-' ment.

6. A closure seam comprising adjacent multiply paper sides, a. U-shapedfabric cover strip enclosing the edge portions of said sides; said coverstrip being composite and comprising a separate inside fluffy absorbentlayer and a separate outside relatively smooth layer of low-count weaveproviding reticulations, stitching passing through the opposite sides ofthe cover strip and the contained multi-ply paper layers, andwaterproofing material impregnating both components of the cover stripand the spaces between the contained multi-ply layers.

'7. A closure seam comprising adjacent multiply layers of paper, aU-shaped composite fabric cover strip enclosing the edge portions ofsaid layers, said composite cover strip comprising an inside flannelcomponent and an outside starched of multi-ply paper, a U-shaped coverstrip en- I closing the edges of said paper layers, said cover stripcomprising a terry cloth having a nap surface inwardly directed,stitching passing through said cover strip and-the contained paperlayers and waterproofing material impregnating the olosure.

9. A closure seam comprising adjacent layers of multi-ply paper, aU-shaped cover strip enclosing the edges of said paper layers, saidcover strip comprising turkish-towel material, stitch ing passingthrough said cover strip and the contained paper layersand'waterproofing material impregnating the closure. Y

10. A closure seam comprising adjacent layers of multi-ply paper, aU-shaped cover strip enclosing the edges of said paper layers, saidcover strip comprising a single ply of fabrichaving a relatively smoothbut reticulated outside surface and an inwardly directed rougherabsorbent surface, stitching passing through said cover strip and theenclosed paper layers, and waterproofing wax impregating the 1 coverstrip and located within the ply-formed spaces within it.

11. A seam for adjacently located areas of material, comprising fabricstrip portions attached to opposite sides and joining said areas ofmaterial, said strip portions being composed'of material whichthroughout is reticulated and absorbent with respect to a liquidproofing medium, and a liquid proofing medium adapted to solidify andform a matrix and while liquid penetrating throughout said fabric stripportions and extending between said areas said fabric strip portionsacting both as wicks for placement of the medium when liquid and asreinforcements therefor when it is solidified as a matrix. v

12. A seam for adjacent areas of material, comprising a strip attachedto and joining said areas, said strip having a fluffy, fibrous andabsorbent component directly adjacent to said areas and having a lessflufiy reticulated layer on its side directed away from said areas, anda proofing medium impregnating said strip, said outside reticulatedlayer. transmitting the proofing medium to the fluffy layer, and thelatter functioning as a, wick, the amount of proofing medium suppliedbeing such as to present a substantially solid mass in which the fibresof the fluffy material act as reinforcements.

13; A seam for adjacent areas of material, comprising a strip attachedto and joining said areas, said strip having a fiuffy, fibrous andabsorbent component directly adjacent to said areas and having a lessfibrous reticulated layer on its side directed away from said areas, andwax impregnating said strip, said outside reticulated layer transmittingthe wax'to the fluify, fibrous inner layer, and the latter functioningas a wick for the Wax when melted, the amount of wax supplied being suchas to present when solidified a substantially solid mass in which thefibres of the fluffy material act as reinforcements.

NORMAN E. WEEKS. ROBERT E. LE ROY.

